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Product Details
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This nearsightedly negative view of feminism, and Shields's narrator's inability to see her three daughters as human beings, strains the credibility of Unless. Shields can be a wonderfully ironic writer, but that temperament is largely absent here, and much of her usual sophistication is lost in Reta's solipsism. Her prose is as delicious as ever, but that alone is not enough to carry the book. Unless will appeal to devoted readers of Shields, but it cannot be counted among her strongest work. Those who have never read her (or who have only read The Stone Diaries) are better off turning to Swann or Larry's Party, or even seeking out her superb debut, Small Ceremonies. --Jack Illingworth
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful work of subtlety,
By Magnolia Flutter (Vancouver, CAN) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Unless (Paperback)
Unless is beautifully written. It may be too subtle for many people (see reviews claiming it to be tedious), but if you look into her finely woven story, there are many layers of overlapping meaning. If you are not a feminist, Shields may seem to assume too much. Yet I find her feminism to be right on the mark, humble and poignant.She points out the irony of writing about a woman who is writing about a woman writing. But going through the story, she teaches a clinic on how to write a story. I found it captivating and have read it repeatedly and recommended it to all the women in my life. Shields also embraces the accusation that she writes about the small moments and small lives. This book was much more memorable than the Stone Diaries which was also fascinating.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Rambles,
By
This review is from: Unless (Paperback)
I agree with the reviewer, Carrad's, statement, "Moaning for pages and pages and pages about how female authors and characters have been marginalized for centuries does not justify the artistic failure inherent in marginalizing all the male characters in the book, who are poorly-realized cardboard cutouts." The main character Reta is pretty presumptious about why her daughter has withdrawn from society and yet in the end the reason is something very different. Although I can see the realtionship and symbolism. But it seems that Shields uses this novel to ramble on about woman's plight of being powerless and other political musings. It just ends up being a very disconnected and uninteresting novel.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unless...An Exploration of Our Worst Fear,
By
This review is from: Unless: A Novel (Hardcover)
Carol Shields writes of a mother's worst fear....a child who detaches from society to live on the street. Throughout the journey, the mother microscopically examines her past and present in an attempt to understand why her daughter would do this.Anyone who has ever had to face a loss like this could identify with Carol Shield's portrayal of a life that has gone awry. Carol touches on many nerves and many issues in this beautifully written novel.
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